Liberty and Legalism

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"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved." (1 Corinthians 10:31-33, NASB)

   Two weeks ago I read an article by a notable Christian magazine which presented the idea that Christians are free to use marijuana, but they should not. Although I cannot speak directly for Paul, I'm pretty sure that this was not what he meant when speaking of liberty. Usually, any discussion of questionable behavior eventually devolves into a legalism-vs-liberty debate, with supporters on each side brining in "other" topics, which clouds the issue. Christ has given us freedom: freedom from sin, not freedom to sin; freedom to live and serve, not freedom to indulge.

   My heart and spirit is deeply disturbed by the willingness of some within the community of faith to indulge in behavior that is hedonistic, but claim it as freedom through Christ. In the verses above, Paul has just addressed mean that has been offered to idols. He tells the believers that it is okay to eat of the meat, as long as it does not violate their own conscience, since it came from God in the first place. But Paul does not stop there. He tells the believers to "give no offense." Those who argue for "freedom" seem to forget the "offense" part. Earlier in the same letter Paul noted that he would be willing to never eat meat again if it meant causing another to stumble. (1 Cor. 8:13) 

   This is not exhaustive, but look at what God's Word says about the matter:  
- "Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God." (1 Pet. 2:16, ESV)    
- But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Cor. 8:9, NASB)    
-  "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13, NASB)   

    Anyone who preaches or teaches that Christian freedom is "freedom" to indulge in whatever you want, is not only deceiving you, but they are deceived themselves. They will basically tell you that any matter related to "dos" and "don'ts" in relation to service to God is legalism. When Christ came, He came and fulfilled the law, not abolish it. There are many principles in the OT that we need to pay attention to today as we enjoy our new-found freedom in Christ. Paul noted, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable..." (1 Cor. 6:12, NASB) Although the Bible does not mention marijuana use, abortion, or a variety of other troubling behaviors by name does not mean that the Bible is silent on the matter. Sometimes we have to look just a little bit deeper into the principles found in the Word. Enjoy the freedom that Jesus has given you, but don't let your freedom become an avenue for bondage.
 

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